Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Live Science Contributor | May 3, 2013 06:40pm ET MORE Credit: Stasys Eidiejus Shutterstock The Great Lakes — Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Erie — make up the largest body of fresh water on Earth, accounting for one-fifth of the freshwater surface on the planet at 6 quadrillion gallons. The area of all the Great Lakes is 95,160 square miles (246,463 square kilometers). The lakes are on the U.S.-Canadian border, touching Ontario in Canada and Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York in the United States. About 34 million people in the United States and Canada live in the Great Lakes basin. More than 3,500 species of plants and animals inhabit the Great Lakes basin, including 170-plus species of fish. Today, the Great Lakes are popular recreation spots for boating, fishing and other recreational activities and still serve as an important mode of transportation of goods, but they have not always been in their current form.

About 14,000 years ago, the Great Lakes area was covered with a glacier that was more than a half-mile (1 km) thick. As the glacier melted, it slowly moved toward Canada and left behind a series of large depressions that filled with water. These formed the basic shape of the Great Lakes, and about 10,000 years ago the Great Lakes took the form that is familiar today. The Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas at the straits between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Credit: lphoto Shutterstock While the area had been inhabited for a very long time before European explorers arrived, Étienne Brûlé (circa 1592-1632), an advance man for the French explorer Samuel de Champlain (circa 1567-1635), is generally credited as the first European to discover the Great Lakes. Brûlé is believed to have reached Lake Huron around 1615, and went on to explore Lake Ontario. There are a number of rivers and tributaries connecting the Great Lakes.

The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and there is such a steady flow of water between these two bodies that they could be considered one lake. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are connected by the Niagara River, including Niagara Falls. The St. Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which leads out to the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Lakes are dotted with more than 30,000 islands. While many of the islands are small and uninhabitable, the largest is Lake Huron’s Manitoulin Island (1,068 square miles or 2,766 square km), which is also the largest island in any inland body of water on the planet. There have been a number of shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, as storms and reefs can make navigation treacherous. The last and one of the most famous shipwrecks was that of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on Nov. 10, 1975, killing the crew of 29.

Quick facts about the five Great Lakes: Lake Erie: The name was derived from erielhonan, the Iroquoian word for long tail, which describes its shape. It is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes when measured in surface area (9,910 square miles / 25,700 square km.) and the smallest by water volume (116 cubic miles / 484 cubic km). Lake Huron: Named for the Wyandot Indians, or Hurons, who lived there.Lake Huron is the second largest Great Lake by surface area (23,000 square miles / 59,600 square km) and has the longest shoreline (3,827 miles / 6,157 km), taking into account its many islands. A view of Niagara Falls (Horseshoe Falls) from the Canadian side. Boating and the US/Canada Border | The Great Lakes Cruising Club The Great Lakes Cruising Club Skip to Navigation ↓ WELCOME Welcome to the website of the Great Lakes Cruising Club.

Look around and you will find harbor reports for 1,100 ports and anchorages throughout the Great Lakes, discussions of Great Lakes issues, places to post boat and cruising photos, and more. Note that major portions of the web site are limited to members of the GLCC. If you are not a member, consider joining us- just click on "Join the GLCC" in the menu bar above and you will be on your way to our exclusive membership benefits. Boating and the US/Canada Border BSomers - September 16, 2016 for Boats in the U.S. & Canada U.S. Customs and Border Protection Canada Border Services Agency This document has not been reviewed by US CBP OR CanBSA. It represents a summary of a presentation made by representatives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CanBSA) at the Windsor Yacht Club on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. It was titled Boating and the Border. The representatives from the US CBP were from the Detroit Sector. The CanBSA representatives came from Windsor. You must be prepared to encounter different interpretations of the regulations on a regional basis.

Also realize the answers given by these officers reflect their beliefs concerning the rules they are charged to enforce and our interpretation of their statements. We should all be prepared to encounter an authority whose beliefs may not completely jibe with these. Recently it appeared that CanBSA had escalated the reporting requirements for private boats operating in the vicinity of the Canada US border. However, in a conversation with a CanBSA representative, I was informed that the body of the current Canadian Regulations have actually been on the books for several years. Recent modifications have been made, such as the ability to use a cell phone to report in, making it more reasonable to expect compliance with these regulations. The current effort at educating the boating public is an attempt to “promote compliance”. Be aware Customs considers all water vehicles to be governed by these regulations. This includes vessels such as Sea Dos, Kayaks and fishing boats. Source information is available at these government web sites. US Customs and Border Protection: US CBP web page specifying Pleasure Boat Reporting requirements.

Canadian Border Services Agency: CanBSA Reporting Requirements for Private Boaters: CanBSA Disagreements, reviews and appeals: The Shiprider program is at: US Customs and Border Protection- US CBP Canadian Border Services Agency – CanBSA Telephone Reporting Center-TRC Reporting Requirements in the UNITED STATES 1. Overview The reporting requirements for landing a vessel in the United States have not changed (as of April 2013). The key to facilitating a “hassle free” entry into the United States is having appropriate documentation. The preferred documentation for landing a vessel in the United States is a Nexus card or an I-68 form. These documents allow for remote clearing of the vessel and all passengers. Remote clearing can only take place if ALL passengers on the vessel have this documentation. Nexus provides the opportunity to report in by phoning in up to four hours ahead of landing. The I-68 also provides the opportunity to report in advance by phoning in up to one hour before landing. Precise information as to the place of landing and the time of landing must be given if an advance report is made.

To further facilitate expedient clearing, a BR number (Boater’s Registration Number) is encouraged for each person who regularly and routinely crosses the border by boat. The BR number allows all information embedded in the Nexus registration to be available to the US CBP Officer and eliminates the need to repeat and record all such information on the phone in report. A couple of simple key questions may be asked to confirm identity. In the absence of these documents, a Passport is required. However, utilization of a Passport creates an absolute requirement that the individual (and therefore the vessel and all other passengers) be inspected face to face. This could cause significant delay in clearing because the dispatching of officers is subject to their availability. As well, you could be directed to report in person rather than having officers dispatched to the vessel. If you are directed to report, you must do so over land as you have already “landed”. The cost of doing so (cab fare etc.) could be prohibitive. Note: Officers may exercise discretion based on all circumstances and take a phone check in. One of those circumstances is the availability of staff to dispatch to the landing point. It would be recommended to establish this in advance.

Certain jurisdictions may have video telephones to facilitate reporting but this should not be counted upon. As such, all persons on a vessel landing in the United States are encouraged to have an I-68 or Nexus. All vessels over 30 feet must also have a USER FEE DECAL. They are good for one year and can be ordered. # 2. Reporting Requirements in U.S. You must report to US CBP if you: Have arrived or returned from a “foreign location” (meaning that, as a foreigner, you have landed your vessel at a U.S. port and/or have contacted U.S. soil, or as a U.S. resident, you have returned from landing on foreign soil). Had contact with a foreign vessel or any vessel returning from a foreign location; or Received merchandise outside U.S. territorial waters (which generally and inherently requires that one of the two foregoing parameters have been met). For Canadian boaters, just because you have crossed into U.S. waters and may be obliged to report to CanBSA on your return to Canadian waters, this does not create a reporting requirement to the US CBP when you cross into U.S. waters.

(Assuming you do not otherwise fulfill any US requirement to report to US CBP.) For US boaters if you cross into Canadian waters and are required to contact CanBSA there is no requirement to report to US CBP upon returning to US waters unless you fulfill one of the US requirements for reporting to US CBP. For your assistance, a schedule of U.S. reporting phone numbers for Michigan are listed at the end. 3. US Penalties Often times for a first offence, a warning will be given. However, given the gravity of the situation, an initial contravention could result in a fine which, if levied, now carries a minimum of $5,000.00. Additionally you could be stripped of your Nexus or I-68 privileges. Second offences carry a $10,000.00 minimum fine, and at that time the vessel is subject to seizure. Incarceration is also possible. 4. Canadian Extended Visits to U.S. via Vessel Canadians who have crossed into the United States by a vessel are required to re-report into US CBP every 72 hours if they have not left the country.

Note: This was stated by officers from the Detroit sector during the Windsor seminar (Mar 2013). Phone conversations with two different Field officers from the Detroit area confirmed this requirement. Outside the Detroit area I would recommend calling in every 72 hours unless you have checked before and this is not required in the area you are visiting, or, on the initial report, have been advised that this procedure need not be followed. The key again is having appropriate documentation to facilitate a hassle free report. Again the Nexus is the preferred document and offers remote clearing. Passports and other Canadian identity documents (such as an Enhanced Drivers License) will require a face to face inspection. This can cause substantial delay and further you can be directed to report at a specific port. 2. Reporting Requirements Canada requires a report to be made any time a vessel enters into Canadian waters from foreign waters. The Canadian reporting system is a centralized system (the “TRC” administered out of Hamilton, Ontario) and the phone number for reporting is 1-888-226-7277 (1-888-CAN-PASS). Or 905-679-2073 (long distance charges may apply).

For Canadians Canadians who cross the international border and then return are required to report. If you are returning from having landed in the US you are required to report by phone from a designated marine reporting site. If you had not landed in the US, and everyone on board was Canadian citizens and permanent residents, you should have the option of calling from your cell phone at the point where you entered Canadian waters. Boats that are travelling along the international border and may cross and return multiple times on that voyage need only report once, on their initial entry into Canadian waters, in that particular journey. The “in-transit exception” – discussed below, does not apply to Canadian vessels in any manner. For Americans Any U.S. boat entering Canadian waters has a duty to report with the exception that “boats in transit” do not have to report. If you intend to land you are required to report to a CanBSA designated marine reporting site and call the TRC from the phone provided to obtain clearance. The “boats in transit” exception only applies if a U.S. vessel is traveling from point to point in the U.S. and its starting point and its destination point are different. The trip must be continuous, un-interrupted and without delays or stopovers.

If a U.S. boat leaves a US port, crosses into Canadian waters and intends to immediately return to its U.S. port of origin, the “in transit” exception does not apply and the boat has a requirement to report. In all cases, this “deemed landing” by crossing the international border on the water (unless the “in transit” exception applies), means that all persons on the vessel are subject to the usual border crossing and landing requirements. This includes laws governing the reporting of goods purchased or acquired outside of the country (including alcohol and tobacco), the carrying of firearms (which is generally prohibited in Canada) and the carrying of cash or negotiable securities in a value of $10,000.00 or more. Private boaters that are strictly weaving in and out of Canadian waters but are not in transit, are required to call the TRC only once at the time of their initial entry into Canadian waters. Your report can be made by cell phone. If you are without a cell phone you must proceed to a CanBSA designated marine telephone reporting site and place a call to the TRC to obtain clearance.

If this activity changes, i.e., the vessel docks in Canada or takes on new persons or goods while in foreign waters, the boaters must report to a CanBSA designated marine reporting site and call the TRC to obtain clearance. 3. Canadian Penalties The first offense carries a $1,000.00 minimum fine. Second and subsequent offenses will trigger escalations in fines and depending on the nature of the contravention could result in seizure of the boat or incarceration or both. 4. Practical Considerations regarding changes to Canadian Reporting Requirements Attendees at the meeting expressed great concern that these policy changes would: Complicate general recreational activities such as regular sailboat racing (for example from the Windsor Yacht Club every Wednesday night). The nature of sailboats which tack and jibe is such that it is unlikely that they could ever depart a border facility (like the Windsor Yacht Club) without crossing the international boarder and creating a reporting requirement. CBSA officers indicated that “pre-clearances” could be obtained provided that the vessel and all passengers were properly reported and all passengers carried the proper documentation.

The whole season of racing could be reported and cleared in advance, subject to the caveat that each and every boat registered participated, and the crew on each and every boat remained unchanged throughout the racing season without creating a new reporting requirement (an impractical exception). The Canadian Government has spent a great deal of time, energy and money promoting tourism through transient boating which would likely be thoroughly discouraged by this new reporting requirement. Many of the attendees at the meeting have American boating friends who have expressed great concern about these reporting requirements and have indicated that they will necessarily have to significantly reduce or suspend their boating experience in Canada. The only thing that was offered in response by the attending officers was the “in transit exception”. Policing and the Border Seminar - Windsor Yacht Club March 27, 2013 Canadian law enforcement officials showed up to explain their involvement and their mandate. This included the Windsor Police (local), the Ontario Provincial Police (Provincial) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP – Federal). The RCMP is embarking on the “Shiprider program” in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard which will involve officials from both countries crewing on the vessels of both countries.

This is designed to facilitate cross border pursuit in the event of policing and enforcement issues. The Senior Canadian Officer would be in charge when the vessel is in Canadian waters (regardless of the flag of the vessel) and the Senior U.S. Officer would be in charge if the vessel is in U.S. waters (regardless of the flag of the vessel). Their primary focus is security of country, terrorism, human smuggling, unlawful possession and trafficking in drugs and firearms and general safety on the water. The Windsor Police and the OPP both expressed the primacy of their mandate as being safety on the waters. As such, the rather blunt suggestion was that the primary mandate of the Canadian police forces policing the Canadian waters did not involve enforcing reporting requirements. The suggestion was that these requirements would only be enforced in companion with other more serious safety violations or criminal violations observed by Canadian law enforcement officers on the water. Simply put, the representatives of all these police forces indicate that they simply do not have the manpower to attempt to enforce the reporting requirements as primary charges. Nonetheless, they all urge compliance. Note that Canada Border Patrol currently has no dedicated vessels locally in the Windsor/Detroit area.

One other point of interest, in the Detroit/Windsor area and possibly along other Canadian waterways, you may see new speed limit signs. They are in kilometers per hour. The correct speed in reduced speed zones is 5 Knots, however Canadian law requires posting in metric and requires speed on the water to be posted at the equivalent of speed over land. (5 knots works out to 9.3 kph). The signs will not show the decimal, and you will start to see 9 kph posted in speed zones. kph = kilometers per hour Michigan Ports Reporting Procedures: 1. Be in possession of a pre-approved Form I-68 or NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST memeber card, and call one of the following numbers to report your arrival up to 4 hours in advance: Detroit Area: 1-313-393-3793 or 1-313-393-3949 Port Huron Area: 1-810-385-3541 ext.

235 Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula: 1-906-632-2631 --OR-- Fee study Permalink Submitted by JensenNR on Tue, 05/28/2013 - 04:11. I see in the news reports that the US Government wants to study a fee for crossing its northern border, and wonder if it eventually will trickle down to also be imposed every time a recreational boat gets processed. It is something to watch. Permalink Submitted by BSomers on Thu, 05/23/2013 - 22:43. Additional comments have been added to the Reporting Requirements in Canada section to clarify requirements. The ultimate source is the website: Brad Somers Permalink Submitted by BSomers on Thu, 05/23/2013 - 17:05. Daniel Daniel When you called the Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) were you returning from having landed in the US or had you just crossed the Border back into Canadian waters and had not landed in the US? If you are returning from having landed in the US you are required to report by phone from a designated marine reporting site.

If you had not landed in the US, and everyone on board was Canadian citizens and permanent residents, you should have had the option of calling from your cell phone at the point where you entered Canadian waters. Brad Permalink Submitted by danielsharp on Tue, 05/21/2013 - 12:08. Brad We crossed the canadian border on Sat May 18, I called them on my cell as you suggested and and was told in no uncertain terms that this was unacceptable. I was to immediately proceed to a proper point of entry and call on the pay phone provided. Daniel Sharp Port Captain Sault Ste. Marie, On Border crossing Canada/ U.S Permalink Submitted by kellett1 on Mon, 05/20/2013 - 20:38. My family visited Thunder Bay last August (2012). Upon arrival I went to the marina office and phoned Canadian Customs. I was asked the nature of our visit, how many were on board, how long we were going to be in Canada and whether we had any alcohol or firearms. The whole process took about 10 minutes and the Customs Agent was very polite.

Weather extended our visit another day and I called again and that took about 3 minutes. Once back in US waters (Grand Marais, MN) we were boarded, passports and boat were inspected and told to go on line and purchase the decal. Very easy. Scott Kellett SVRS Permalink Submitted by Glider on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 21:38. I used this program last year and it worked fine. Be sure to inform the CBP that your are reporting under the SVRS program as they will not find you just using NEXUS. The float plan requirement can be simplified by just filing a Canadian destination and an estimated US return date and port. SVRS Permalink Submitted by eemahoney on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 18:31. I filed for the SVRS, I will advise if it seems to change anything. I did this because I do some Florida Boating, and occasionally return from the Bahamas. SVRS is applicable to Florida, the I-68 is Canada to US only.

I would expect that SVRS will not get much activity on the Great Lakes, the interview process is the same as the I-68, or the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Program. One Benefit is it is free if you have an I-68 or Global Entry. Permalink Submitted by BSomers on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 15:13. Niels To my knowledge there was no comment on it at the Seminars. I downloaded the enrollment form last year. The information required seemed to be the same as we had already given out to get our Boating Registration number (BR number) a few years earlier so I didn't pursue it. You will see that the US CBP did refer to the BR number during the seminar. Brad Permalink Submitted by JensenNR on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 07:34. Hi Brad, Thank you so much for posting this information. It's very helpful. Was any mention made of the US' Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS)? All the best. Crossing the Canada US Border Copies of prescriptions for any prescription medication Value of any declarable merchandise U.S.

marina at which you arrived or will be arriving MINOR CHILDREN Parents who share custody of their children should carry copies of the legal custody documents. It is also recommended that they have a consent letter from the other custodial parent to take the child on a trip across the Canada US border. The parents’ full name, address and telephone number should be included in the consent letter. Although not necessary, the letter could be notarized to confirm its validity. Adults who are not parents or guardians should have written permission from the parents or guardians to cross the Canada US border and to supervise the children. The consent letter should include addresses and telephone numbers where the parents or guardian can be reached. CBP officers watch for missing children and may ask detailed questions about the children who are travelling with you.

REPORTING PROCEDURES When you cross the Canada US border and arrive in the United States, Customs and Border Protection clearance may be obtained by one of three methods listed below: 1) Be in possession of a pre-approved Form I-68 or NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST member card, and call one of the following numbers to report your arrival up to 4 hours in advance; Minnesota/North Dakota: 1-800-505-8381 Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula: 1-906-632-2631 Port Huron area: 1-810-985-9541 ext.

235 Detroit area: 1-313-393-3793 or 1-313-393-3949 Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Duluth, MN: 1-888-523-BOAT (2628) New York State: 1-800-827-2851 Only the Master or designee may go ashore to report the arrival to CBP either in person or if participating in the I-68 or NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST programs, by telephone. No other person may leave or board the boat and no baggage or merchandise may be removed or loaded until the report of arrival is made and release granted by a CBP officer. Each crew¬member and passenger must also be in possession of an I-68 or NEXUS or SENTRI or FAST card to qualify for phone-in reporting.

-OR- 2) Utilize a CBP Videophone inspection station located in the following; In MICHIGAN: Mackinac Island In OHIO: Put-in-Bay (Bass Island), Cedar Point Marina, Brands Marina (Port Clinton), East 55th Street (Cleveland), Lagoons Marina (Mentor), Chagrin Yacht Club (Eastlake), Grand River marina (Fairport), Ashtabula Public Dock. In ERIE, PA: Presque Isle, Dobbins Landing, Perry’s Landing, Lampe Marina. In NEW YORK: Dunkirk, Erie Basin Marina (Buffalo), North Tonawanda, Youngstown, Wilson, Olcott, Point Breeze, Rochester, Sodus Point, Oswego, Sackets Harbor, Clayton, Alexandria Bay, Morristown, Ogdensburg, and Waddington. If using a Videophone station to report your arrival, all passengers and crew must report to the videophone for inspection with your identity and citizenship documents ready for presentation. Have a pencil and paper ready to record your inspection receipt number, which the Officer will give you upon completion of your inspection.

This is an eighteen digit number and must be provided to Border Patrol Agents or other Law Enforcement officers when requested. -OR- 3) Report in person for inspection to the nearest open marine Port of Entry during the established hours. The following are designated ports of entry; Milwaukee, WI (414) 486-7790 Crane Lake, MN (218) 993-2321 Sault Ste.

Marie, MI (906) 632-7221 or (906) 632-2631 Port Huron, MI (810) 985-9541 ext.235 Detroit, MI (313) 393-3949 Toledo, OH (419) 259- 6424 Sandusky, OH (419) 625 – 0022 Cleveland, OH (216) 267 – 3600 Erie, PA (814) 833 – 1355 Buffalo, NY (716) 881-4447 Niagara Falls, NY (716) 282-3141 Lewiston, NY (716) 285-1676 Alexandria Bay, NY (315) 482-2065 Ogdensburg, NY (315) 393-1390 Massena, NY (315) 764-0677

 Champlain, NY (518) 298-8346 After crossing the Canada US border, if you arrive at a marine Port of Entry after the normal business hours of a port, you must telephone the CBP to report.

A CBP officer will provide further instructions regarding reporting and entry processing. INFORMATION NEEDED The following information must be available when reporting: Name, Date of Birth & Citizenship of Master (with supporting documentation Name of Boat Boat Registration or Licence Number U.S. Decal Number (if 30 feet or longer) Name, Date of Birth, Citizenship of all passengers with supporting documentation Home port Current location Here is a link to the US Department of Homeland Security that will give you additional information on crossing the Canada US border Extended Visits Canadians who enter the United States by boat are required to re-report into CBP every 72 hours until they leave United States waters. RETURNING TO CANADA If you have left Canadian waters and landed in the United States (i.e. docked or anchored in American waters), you are required to report to a CBSA-designated marine reporting site. Upon arrival at a CBSA-designated marine reporting site, call the Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) at 1-888-226-7277 (888-CANPASS) from the phone provided to obtain clearance. If you have left Canadian waters and entered U.S waters but not landed in the United States (i.e.

not docked or not anchored), you must still report in. You can contact the CBSA by calling the TRC at 1-888-226-7277 from your cellular telephone upon arrival back into Canadian waters. Here is a link to Canada Border Service Agency offices . This link to CBSA will give you the location of all telephone reporting sites in Ontario. Join hundreds of fellow sailors Subscribe to Rhumb Line for updates and new port reviews Your e-mail address is secure. It is used only to send you Rhumb Line Enter Your E-mail Address Enter Your First Name a practical, easy-to-use yet thorough format to record all of the necessary information about your boat and any cruises you take – whether exploring home waters or voyaging to distant ports across the Great Lakes. . Click here for more details Copyright and TM 2011 - 2016 Great-Lakes-Sailing.com. All Rights Reserved.

Permission is granted to make copies of web pages for personal, non-commercial use, providing pages are unmodified, the copyright and trade mark notice is included and the following credit appears: Source - USA Geography Quizzes - Fun Map Games ï¿½ The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. They are the largest group of fresh water lakes on the earth, and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system is the largest fresh-water system in the world. They are sometimes referred to as inland seas. The Great Lakes are (west to east, general direction of water flow): Lake Superior (the largest and deepest, larger than the Czech Republic) Lake Michigan (the only one entirely in the U.S., the second largest in volume) Lake Huron (the second largest in area) Lake Erie (the smallest in volume and shallowest) Lake Ontario (the smallest in area, much lower altitude than the rest) A much smaller sixth lake, Lake St. Clair, is part of the Great Lakes system between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, but is not considered one of the "Great Lakes". The system also includes the rivers that connect the lakes: St.

Mary's River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, the St. Clair River between Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, and the Niagara River and Niagara Falls, between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. (Lake Michigan is connected to Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac.) Large islands and a peninsula divide Lake Huron into the lake proper and Georgian Bay. The lakes are bounded by Ontario (all of the lakes but Michigan), Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan (all but Ontario), Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Four of the five lakes straddle the U.S.-Canada border; the fifth, Lake Michigan, is entirely within the United States. The Saint Lawrence River, which marks the same international border for a portion of its course, is a primary outlet of these interconnected lakes, and flows through Quebec and past the Gaspé Peninsula to the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Sprinkled throughout the lakes are the approximately 35,000 Great Lakes islands, including Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, the largest island in any inland body of water, and Isle Royale in Lake Superior, the largest island in the largest lake (each island large enough to itself contain multiple lakes). The Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway opened the Great Lakes to ocean-going vessels. However the move to wider ocean-going container ships - which do not fit through the locks on these routes - has limited shipping on the lakes. Despite their vast size, large sections of the Great Lakes freeze over in winter, and most shipping stops during that season. There are some icebreakers that operate on the lakes. The lakes have an effect on weather in the region, known as lake effect. In winter, the moisture picked up by the prevailing winds from the west can produce very heavy snowfall, especially along lakeshores to the east such as in Michigan, Ontario, and New York. The most infamous example is the Blizzard of '77 in which previous heavy snowfall and strong winds running the length of Lake Erie covered Buffalo, New York in drifting snow.

The lakes also moderate seasonal temperatures somewhat, by absorbing heat and cooling the air in summer, then slowly radiating that heat in autumn. This temperature buffering produces areas known as "fruit belts", where fruit typically grown farther south can be produced in commercial quantities. The Great Lakes were formed at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, when the Laurentide ice sheet receded. When this happened, the giant glacier scratched a deep hole within the Earth's surface. The melting also left behind a large amount of meltwater which filled up these holes, which were soon to become the Great Lakes. Because of the uneven nature of glacier erosion, some higher hills became Great Lakes islands. The Niagara Escarpment follows the contour of the Great Lakes between New York and Wisconsin. The lakes are extensively used for transport, though cargo traffic has decreased considerably in recent years. Storms and reefs are a common threat, and many thousands of ships have sunk in these waters, the number estimates varying widely. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the last major freighter lost on the lakes. The Great Lakes Waterway makes each of the lakes accessible. During settlement, the Great Lakes and its rivers were the only practical means of moving people and freight.

Anything and everything floated on the lakes. Some ended up on the bottom due to storms, fires, collisions and underwater hazards. Barges from middle North America were able to reach the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes when the Erie Canal opened in 1825. By 1848, with the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at Chicago, direct access to the Mississippi River was possible from the lakes. With these two canals an all-inland water route was provided between New York City and New Orleans. The main business of many of the passenger lines in the 1800s was transporting immigrants. Many of the larger cities owe their existence to their position on the lakes as a freight destination as well as for being a magnet for immigrants. After railroads and surface roads developed the freight and passenger businesses dwindled and, excepting ferries and a few foreign cruise ships, now has vanished. Since general freight these days is transported by railroads and trucks, domestic ships mostly move bulk cargoes, such as iron ore and its derivatives, coal and limestone for the steel industry. The domestic bulk freight developed because of the nearby mines.

It was more economical to transport the ingredients for steel to centralized plants rather than try to make steel on the spot. Ingredients for steel, however, are not the only bulk shipments made. Because the lake maritime community largely developed independently, it has its own language. Ships, no matter the size, are referred to as boats. When the sailing ships gave way to steamships, they were called steamboats—the same term used on the Mississippi. The ships also have a distinctive design. Ships that primarily trade on the lakes are known as lakers. Foreign boats are known as salties. The Great Lakes are used as a major mode of transport for bulk goods. The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first sailing ship to travel the upper Great Lakes on August 7, 1679. In 2002, 162 million net tons of dry bulk cargo was moved on the Lakes. This was, in order of volume: iron ore, coal, stone, grain, salt, cement and potash.

The iron ore and much of the stone and coal are used in the steel industry. There is also some shipping of liquid and containerized cargo but most container ships cannot pass the locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway because they are too wide. The total amount of shipping on the lakes has been on a downward trend for several years. Recreational boating and tourism are major industries on the Great Lakes. A few small cruise ships operate on the Great Lakes including a couple of sailing ships. Several ferries operate on the Great Lakes to carry passengers to various islands. Sport fishing, commercial fishing, and Native American fishing represent a 4 billion dollar (USD) a year industry with salmon, whitefish, smelt, lake trout, and walleye being major catches. The Great Lakes are used to supply drinking water to tens of millions of people in bordering areas. This valuable resource is collectively administered by the state and provincial governments adjacent to the lakes. What states border Canada? | Reference.com What states border Canada? A: Quick Answer The following 13 U.S. states share a border with Canada: Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New York, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.

Most of them have land borders, but Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan share only water boundaries with Canada along the Great Lakes. Full Answer Although Wisconsin and Ontario both border Lake Superior, they do not physically meet. Wisconsin's closest boundary is actually 70 miles from the Canadian border. Alaska's border with Canada is the longest at 1,538 miles, and Pennsylvania's is the shortest at 42 miles, although Idaho has the shortest land border at 45 miles. Eight Canadian provinces border the United States: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon. Ontario has the longest border with the United States at 1,715 miles, and Alberta has the shortest at 185 miles. The United States and Canada have the world's longest international shared border at 5,525 miles. The border between the lower 48 states and Canada was set at the 49th parallel in the 1800s, but the border is far from straight due to geographic obstacles, technological limitations of surveying at the time and territorial disputes.

Although the countries have historically had very good relations, there is a 20-foot-wide cleared boundary between the two. Which states border the Great Lakes? | Reference.com Which states border the Great Lakes? A: Quick Answer There are eight total U.S. states that border the Great Lakes, which are Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. There are also two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes, and these are Quebec and Ontario. Full Answer The St. Lawrence River, which is located on the Quebec border, is an important part of the Great Lakes' structure. The Great Lakes consist of six total bodies of water that are named Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and the Georgian Bay. The states and provinces that border these bodies of water form a unique economic and historical region, which is often referred to as the Great Lakes Megalopolis. World Map with Continents and Oceans Identified Black and White World Maps The Great Lakes This chain of 5 large freshwater lakes form the largest lake group in the world, covering an area of 95,000 sq miles.

Once vital to fur trading and regional development in the early history of Canada and the United States, the Great Lakes (in modern times) remain today a significant transportation route for iron ore, steel, petroleum, grain, American automobiles, and more The Great Lakes have a total shoreline near 10,000 miles, over 350 species of fish, and provide drinking water for over 40 million people. Lake Superior 82,000 sq km, 31,698 sq miles in size, is the largest fresh water lake in the world. It is about 350 miles (565 km) long and 160 miles (257 km) at its widest point. The deepest point is 1,332 ft, while the average depth is 500 ft. Shoreline: 2,730 miles (includes islands) Lake Huron 59,600 sq km, 23,011 sq miles in size, is 206 miles (332 km) long and 183 miles (295 km) at its widest point.

The deepest point is 750 ft, while the average depth is 195 ft. Shoreline: 3,830 miles (includes islands) Lake Michigan 57,800 sq km, 22,316 sq miles in size, is the largest freshwater lake (totally within) the United States. It is 307 miles (494 km) long and 118 miles (190 km) at its widest point. The deepest point is 925 ft, while the average depth is 279 ft. Shoreline: 1,640 miles (includes islands) Lake Erie 25,700 sq km, 9,922 sq miles in size, is 240 miles (386 km) long, and 38-57 miles (61-92 km) wide. The deepest point is 210 ft, while the average depth is 62 ft.

Shoreline: 871 miles (includes islands) Lake Ontario 18,960 sq km, 7,320 sq miles in size, is about 193 miles (311 km) long and 53 miles (85 km) at its widest point. Because of a low elevation above sea level and depths (500 to 800 ft in some places), it doesn't't freeze in winter, unlike the other lakes in the chain. The deepest point is 802 ft, while the average depth is 283 ft. Shoreline: 871 miles (includes islands) St. Lawrence River/Seaway This body of water permits the passage of deep-water ships between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. It includes a series of man-made canals, locks and dams, and is considered one of the most vital shipping routes on the planet.

Recommended Links Undefended no more | The Economist Undefended no more Violence in Ottawa has thickened a once-seamless border, souring the mood on both sides Nov 8th 2014 | DERBY LINE, OTTAWA and VANCOUVER Add this article to your reading list by clicking this button Tweet IN THE Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which straddles Quebec and Vermont, you can watch a show with one foot in Canada and the other in the United States. Built at the turn of the last century, when both countries boasted about the world’s longest undefended border, the cultural centre was created for Derby Line, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec. Nancy Rumery, the librarian, says the towns were a “single community that just happened to have an imaginary line drawn through it.” Al-Qaeda’s September 2001 attacks on America put paid to that. You can still park in Canada and walk across the border to the front door. But now American officials watch to make sure you go back the same way. Elsewhere in the twin towns, movement has been curbed; gates have turned streets into dead ends.

Although Derby Line and Stanstead share water and sewerage systems and a Rotary Club, they are no longer one community, says Brian Smith, a local politician. In this section Reprints Many locals hesitate to cross the border to shop, worship or see friends—for fear of being detained and fined, as befell a local pharmacist who did not report to customs when he crossed over to get a pizza. “It’s not like it used to be,” says Mr Smith. The attack in Ottawa last month by a lone gunman, who killed a Canadian soldier and stormed parliament, seems likely to make matters worse. Although there is still uncertainty about the motives of the gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau—possibly a deranged outcast, possibly a religious extremist—the United States is reviewing security along the 5,525-mile (8,890km) line which separates the two countries (including the Alaskan land border). After meeting his Canadian counterpart in Ottawa in the wake of the attacks, John Kerry, the United States secretary of state, was euphemistic but firm about the need to tighten up.

He voiced confidence that the two countries could come up with “some tweaks, some changes, some additions that will promote even greater security than we have today.” It is debatable whether more security on what Senator John McCain recently called the “porous” northern border really will make Americans much safer from terrorism. But it seems hard for politicians to shake off the habit of Canada-bashing. Both Mr McCain and Hillary Clinton (in 2004) have stated, wrongly, that the 9/11 terrorists entered American territory through Canada. An article on the politico.com website last month (before the Ottawa shootings) had the headline: “Fear Canada: the real terrorist threat next door”. What is more certain is that “tweaks and changes” will impede economic exchanges between two countries who are each others’ largest trading partners; and they may further fray social relations between once-friendly neighbours. Nik Nanos, a pollster who has tracked cross-border attitudes for a decade, says Canadians and Americans still like each other but have lost enthusiasm for further co-operation, most notably on terrorism. Unlike the turbulent border with Mexico, the northern frontier usually gets little attention in the United States.

It “just doesn’t squeak as loud as the southern border,” says Paul Frazer, a consultant on diplomatic affairs. Jeh Johnson, homeland-security secretary in the United States, gave a speech on “Border Security in the 21st Century” last month in which the only allusions to Canada were about the 1920s. Illegal immigration, which haunts American relations with Mexico, is less of a concern in Canada’s case. Of the 420,789 people apprehended by America’s border patrol in 2013, 98% were caught on the country’s south-western edge. On the northern side, guns and drugs are the big worry, says Jose Acosta, an American patrol officer who knows both frontiers and now works near Abbotsford, British Columbia. “We have Ecstasy, meth and marijuana coming south,” he says. “Canada gets illegal aliens and guns going north.” Mr Acosta often sees guns and drugs hidden in vehicles or on persons heading into Canada.

But for anyone who knows the southern border, “it’s pretty quiet here.” Still, comparisons with Mexico can understate the difficulty of policing a line which runs through remote spots like the hills of Montana and Alberta (pictured) and four Great Lakes. There has been a rise in security measures since 2001. The number of American border agents looking atCanada seems paltry, at about 2,200, compared with 18,600 dealing with Mexico; but the former figure was only 340 in 2001. Since that time the United States has also added aircraft with sensor arrays, thermal cameras, video surveillance and unmanned aircraft to watch remoter areas. Aaron Heitke, deputy chief patrol agent in Montana, says that when he started 13 years ago his main item of equipment was binoculars. Now, in addition to his weapon, he has a radiation detector, night goggles and thermal imaging. Perfect security is impossible. Ross Finlayson, a member of a globe-trotting club, trekked through wild terrain from Montana to Canada last summer, bringing a passport and some anti-bear spray. Neither proved necessary.

Canada has assuaged some American concerns—by arming 5,685 customs officers; agreeing to joint patrols on the Great Lakes; and helping to form teams that include coast guards, border agencies and police from both countries. By one estimate, Canada spent an additional C$92 billion ($77 billion) on security in the ten years after 9/11. On November 4th it announced a new surveillance web, with radar, ground sensors and thermal radiation detectors, along 700km of the border. Yet while the United States sees the border through the lens of security, Canada thinks of bilateral trade worth $2 billion a day. Businesses of all kinds moan that stringent procedures depress activity. Costs rise when lorries have to queue for hours to be inspected several times over. Although border security is not the only factor, Canada’s share of trade in the United States has stalled since 2001 (see chart). The near-quadrupling of North American trade in the first 20 years of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement largely concerned the United States and Mexico.

(The value of United States trade with Canada tripled over the period, while that with Mexico grew more than sixfold.) In the wake of the Ottawa shooting, Canadian businesses fear an overreaction, says John Manley, who heads a group representing the country’s largest firms. A shopping centre on Cornwall Island in the Canadian bit of Akwesasne, a piece of land set aside for the Mohawk people, shows how changing regimes harm small businesses. When the Mohawks objected to the arming of Canadian guards, Canada moved a customs post north to the mainland. This left the mall in no-man’s-land. Travellers from the United States are now told not to stop until they reach Canadian customs. The change has cost the mall’s sports store C$50,000 a year and has made some units unrentable. Canada and the United States have made periodic efforts to ease the flow of goods and people: some cargo clearance has been moved away from the border, and American customs officers now work in some Canadian airports. Beyond the Border, a plan launched with fanfare in 2011 by President Barack Obama and Stephen Harper, Canada’s prime minister, aims to create joint perimeter security.

But work on aligning standards and rules has been sporadic. Every resumption, such as a meeting last month in Washington, DC, is hailed unconvincingly as a new start. While Canada is keen, the other side lacks the will for a sustained push. Coolness between Mr Obama and Mr Harper hardly helps. Ms Rumery, the librarian at that cultural centre on the border, could see her nightmare come to pass—users having to clear customs to get through her door.

Question: Which of the Great Lakes does not border on Canada?
Answer: Michigan